1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is in the field of generation and transmission of high power radio frequency (RF) energy using phase-array antenna technology. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to a power amplifying radiator (PAR) element with characteristic dimensions of the order of the cell size of the array.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a benchmark system 10 for generating a directed beam of high power microwave (HPM) radiation that includes a high-power tube-type microwave prime power source 16, e.g. TWTs, Vircator, Gyrotron, etc, a pulse shaping network 18, and associated circuitry in the form of a vacuum tube-type HPM generator 20 and controller 22 driving a single element antenna 14. The functional block diagram of this system in FIG. 1 provides a sense of scale and portability, as the system 10 is mounted on a wheeled convoy vehicle 11. A desirable characteristic of this system is having very high Effective Radiated Power (ERP). However, although reasonably efficient, the system 10 is bulky, heavy and directivity is achieved by rotating the antenna 14, via the rotating mount 12, thereby adding further complexity and limitations regarding pointing agility. Moreover, since the system 10 operates at high voltages, it requires special components, including heavy, high voltage cables and concomitant handling issues.
FIG. 2 illustrates a system 50 in which the single-element antenna 14 of FIG. 1 is replaced with a phased-array 52 mounted on a convoy vehicle 51 that is even heavier and larger than convoy vehicle 11 in FIG. 1. Phased-array system 50 can lead to considerable increase in ERP (factors of 100s over single-element radiator) and pointing agility allowing electronic beam steering, but this is achieved at a cost of increased weight and complexity. The complexity and weight increase in this approach over the single antenna-element 14 of FIG. 1 comes partly from the specialized power distribution system 54 needed to connect the HPM generator 56 to the phased array antenna 52.